True GPS Fitness Tracking Watch Recommendations

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outdoorsnz

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#295562 6-Apr-2022 14:09

I am after a true GPS fitness tracking watch that will track my outdoor activities without the need to use my phone GPS.

Looks like Fitbit 4 & 5 fit the bill. Any other brands that are well supported in NZ?

I looked at the oneplus watch, but doesn't look like it is well supported outside of US.

Does it work well with the google fit app?

What I'm really interested in that it will track my walks (or bike) by True GPS and provides detailed stats that can be viewed afterwards.

I quite like the google fit app, but battery life using phone GPS is not great. Features I really want to see are map view of the walk, stats on height, pace , time and distance.

A built in compass would also be helpful.

What are the fitbit strap build quality like? I had a fitbit charge some time ago and sadly it broke and wasn't the best.

Thanks :-)

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#2897667 6-Apr-2022 14:16

I've got a Garmin Fenix 6 series watch. Great battery life, even better than a fitbit. It's definitely not a smart watch like an Apple watch but if you're just interested in fitness states then it has everything including maps depending on the version you get.

I use an app called Health Sync which allows the stats to be synced between different systems so it goes from Garmin Connect to Google Fit for instance.

They aren't cheap but if you look out for discounts then you can get them for a pretty good price. Very good construction so they will last a lot longer than a lot of watches out there too.

outdoorsnz

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#2897668 6-Apr-2022 14:19

Klathman:

I've got a Garmin Fenix 6 series watch. Great battery life, even better than a fitbit. It's definitely not a smart watch like an Apple watch but if you're just interested in fitness states then it has everything including maps depending on the version you get.

I use an app called Health Sync which allows the stats to be synced between different systems so it goes from Garmin Connect to Google Fit for instance.

They aren't cheap but if you look out for discounts then you can get them for a pretty good price. Very good construction so they will last a lot longer than a lot of watches out there too.

That looks really really good and have seen something similar on outdoor great review on youtube, but looking for something more on a budget. Thanks for the app tip, will look into that.

SheriffNZ

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#2897671 6-Apr-2022 14:24

www.dcrainmaker.com provides good independent reviews of sports tech.

Further to what Klathman says above, you could probably still find Garmin Fenix 5's around which are still very good sports watches if price is a consideration. I'm wearing a Garmin Forerunner 945LTE as I write this.

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#2897674 6-Apr-2022 14:28

Fenix is a good product if you are a serious athlete or hiker but you don't need to spend that sort of money if you're just wanting to track casual exercise. I would suggest a Garmin Venu or Apple Watch.

mudguard

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#2897677 6-Apr-2022 14:32

Yeah I have a Garmin bias (Edge 520 for my mountain bikes) and an Approach S62 for life metrics (sleep, golf, walks etc). They aren't cheap but the dedicated sport watches tend to have more emphasis on battery life and performance than say being able to message, call etc. I'll occasionally use the watch to track bike rides where I have taken a different bike, but the HR measuring is less accurate than the strap/head unit combo. But unless you're training for an ironman or something wrist based optical sensors should be ok.

I tend to charge mine once every ten days or so.

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#2897691 6-Apr-2022 14:54

I have amazfit stratos 3.

5 day easy with 8-10hrs GPS ON during multiday hiking on single charge. Probably could stretch it to 6 days if bother to turn off GPS during 1-1.5hr lunch breaks.

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outdoorsnz

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#2897701 6-Apr-2022 15:22

Ruled out fitbit as 5 hours GPS is not much use.

Quite like the look of the Garmin Instinct and has a solar option. Either has enough GPS battery life for a good long days walk.

outdoorsnz

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#2897702 6-Apr-2022 15:23

kobiak:

I have amazfit stratos 3.

5 day easy with 8-10hrs GPS ON during multiday hiking on single charge. Probably could stretch it to 6 days if bother to turn off GPS during 1-1.5hr lunch breaks.

Looks really good. Couldn't find many to purchase and looks like there are updated products coming out soon...

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#2897725 6-Apr-2022 16:47

I'm all in on the Garmin ecosystem (Fenix 7 SS, Edge 530 & InReach Mini). They are great devices and work well together but aren't cheap.

If you want long battery life and full features then check out the Coros range. My wife has the Coros Pace 2 which is their entry level running watch but it will do everything that you want and the battery life is incredible.

larknz

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#2897760 6-Apr-2022 17:50

Have you looked at Huawei?

freitasm

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#2897771 6-Apr-2022 19:02

Huawei Watch GT Runner (latest release) is worth mentioning. Also lots of running/training and coaching built-in.

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outdoorsnz

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#2897806 6-Apr-2022 19:58

freitasm: Huawei Watch GT Runner (latest release) is worth mentioning. Also lots of running/training and coaching built-in.

That does look like a very nice watch! I'm not a runner these days (old hip running injury!) and wonder if is suitable for tracking walking / tramping?

larknz

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#2897808 6-Apr-2022 20:12

I have a Huawei GT2 Pro which I use for walking and tramping which works well. Has a great battery life and works indoors on a treadmill. Great range of exercise options.

Deamo

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#2897812 6-Apr-2022 20:20

Polar watches are good. I've currently got a Vantage M2, prior to that I had an M400.

My M2 can be slow to acquire the GPS signal, but other than that, i like it.

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#2897834 6-Apr-2022 21:51

outdoorsnz:

Ruled out fitbit as 5 hours GPS is not much use.

Quite like the look of the Garmin Instinct and has a solar option. Either has enough GPS battery life for a good long days walk.

I've got an original Instinct, and it would seem like I use it for all the tings you are looking for.

It's not a "smart watch" in the sense of an Apple etc, but it does exactly what it says on the label. I really like the fact that it has tactile buttons as opposed to a touch screen - works when it's raining or with any gloves on. Ultra-Trac mode records less track points than normal gps mode and I can get two solid days of walking out of a charge. I've got a small usb battery pack that I take if I'm going out for longer than that.

You can link it to a smart phone to download activities which you can view on the Garmin App or website, but you can also export to Strava or other such sites. You can also download gpx files direct from the watch to a pc and view them in mapping software.

I certainly rate it, and will be asking the financial controller very nicely for an upgrade to the solar version.

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